Now, with “Boots on the Ground” topping Billboard’s R&B charts and trail ride culture trending nationwide, a Southern tradition once rooted in tight-knit Black communities is stepping into the mainstream—one line dance at a time.

Louisiana

The song 'Boots Underground,' performed by Trey Little and a Southern soul singer, has become a viral sensation, introducing trail ride culture and its signature dance to a broader audience. Traditionally rooted in African-American communities in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama, trail ride music and line dancing are now gaining national attention, particularly through social media and high-profile performances.

Line dances like the cha-cha slide and the Qubit shuffle have long fostered unity at gatherings, and their power to bring people together was notably seen during the Black Lives Matter protests, where dance helped diffuse tensions. With 'Boots Underground' now topping music charts, the cultural tradition of trail rides and line dancing is being embraced by a wider audience, marking a significant moment for Southern black heritage in mainstream music.

Boots on the Ground: From TikTok to trail ride tradition

When Trey Little 2 stepped in cowboy boots at the BET Awards pre-shoot this summer, it wasn't just performing, it was riding the wave of a cultural moment. Alongside Southern soul singer, Little delivered the viral sensation Boots Underground, a trail ride inspired song whose signature dance has swept across African-American gatherings nationwide. I feel that with the new energy toward country music and trail ride music and African-American presence in it, I think that opened up America's eyes to what we've been doing down in Louisiana and Texas and Mississippi and Alabama for years. So for me, it's nothing new, but it's to the country. I think their eyes have been opened to line dancing and the unity that it brings. And I think it's starting to like spread versus a reset. Line dances like the cha-cha slide and wobble have long been staples of weddings and cookouts, but Boots Underground brought trail ride culture to the national stage. We marched together, we stepped together years ago. It's a sense of unity where everybody can be on one accord at one time. When we can do it together, it's just that sense of unity. That's why I feel like line dancing is the most powerful music in the world. I don't think there's any other genre more powerful than line dance because it brings people together. The power was on display during the Black Lives Matter protest in 2020 when Qubit recalled seeing protesters and police diffuse tensions through the Qubit shuffle. And a pivotal moment was during Black Lives Matter movement when the riots were going on. And there was a video sent to me of people who were rioting and then the police who were trying to bring everybody, calming them down. And they were doing the Qubit shuffle at that moment to kind of like ease the tensions. So that's when I realized the importance of it as far as connecting two people that don't even see eye to eye together. Now with Boots Underground topping the Billboard and R&B charts and trail ride culture trending nationwide, a southern tradition once rooted in tight-knit black communities is stepping into the mainstream.

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